The Secretary is authorized to acquire any of the following described rights if the property acquired thereby is for use by or for, or useful to, the Department:
(1) copyrights, patents, and applications for patents, designs, processes, and manufacturing data;
(2) licenses under copyrights, patents, and applications for patents; and
(3) releases, before suit is brought, for past infringement of patents or copyrights.
(Pub. L. 95–91, title VI, §651, Aug. 4, 1977, 91 Stat. 601.)